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Topic: Materials for a trap out (Read 15252 times)

Shane, you are correct. Yes, one frame of brood with eggs and the rest foundation will work.

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"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

You need EGGS so that they can make a new queen in hive on the outside of the trap. One frame is sufficient. You usually can't get a frame with just eggs, but can get a mixed frame of brood and eggs.

My preferred method is to take one frame of brood (with eggs) and put it in the trap hive as close to the base of the trap cone as possible (usually all the way to the side of the hive that touches the wall of the house) and then fill the remainder of the hive with 9 frames of foundation (assuming using a full size trap hive).

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"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison

The only thing you should be nervous about is insuring you don't get your queen. If it is warm on the morning you do it, you can shake off most the bees from the frame.

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"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

Getting the queen was the second thing I was nervous about. I was planing on spotting her on a frame really quickly and then grabbing another perfect frame with a good mix of eggs and brood. :roll: :-\ I wish..

If you can spot her and set her aside, that is the safest. If you can't find her than do your best to thoroughly examine the frame you want to take (study both sides of the frame at least 2 times) then shake the bees off, examine one more time and then put it into your trap out hive.

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"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison

Actually, there is also a disadvantage with it being so close. Once you have completed the trap out, you will need to find a place to move the hive for a couple of weeks that is more than 2 miles away. Moving them a few hundred feet doesn't work so well, unless you do it a foot at a time.

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"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison

Hey guys, pardon me if this has been addressed in more detail and I missed it, but . . . when setting up a trapout and using a frame of brood and eggs, do you want to include some nurse bees to tend to the eggs and brood? Or will that cause a conflict with the new bees that will be moving into the new trap hive?

I've been successful without adding nurse bees, but the temps are rather high down here in south Texas this time of the year, so I thought the nurse bees may be helpful, but didn't want to start a fight among the unrelated/strange bees.

I have used queenright nucs for the catchbox, and used frames with eggs without nurse bees, so I would say it doesn't matter. Either way works.

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"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"